Who Stole My Merc Logo?

Car thieves are walking away with emblems of high-end cars, like Mercedes’ famed Tristar

Car thieves are walking away with emblems of high-end cars, like Mercedes’ famed Tristar, and it seems there is not much the law enforcement can do. The stolen insignia find their way to markets like Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar, where there is brisk demand for these things from robbed car owners. Second-hand emblems cost at least Rs 2,500. A man who has lost his Mercedes Tristar four times, says on condition of anonymity, “I am now resigned to the fact that it will be stolen. I went to the police but they couldn’t do much.”

A Mercedes dealer says he gets requests for the car’s emblem once in two days on an average. While it is common knowledge that you can buy these logos off the streets if you know where to look, it’s not as easy as walking into a shop. Sellers are cautious as this is an underground market, and you may need a good contact. Customers can also place ‘advance’ orders through contacts. The police say such robberies are not investigated as they are a ‘stray crime’, like chain snatching. “Owners don’t file complaints. We consider it a waste of time as it’s difficult to give back the complainant his emblem,” says a crime branch official.

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Haima Deshpande